Body lifter



BODY LIFTER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 12, 1942 NW 0 O 0 0 Nvmw A MWJWNQwm Q\ a Q m u Oct. 26, 1943. w. RI 2,333,006

BODY LIFTER Patented Oct. 26, 1943 I FATE ticularly to a device of this character to be used by undertakers for transferring a, body to a table or slab for the treatment of the corpse such as embalming or the like and preparing it for burial, and for thereafter lifting and moving the body so that it may be deposited in a casket or other appropriate resting place,

It is anobject of the invention to providenovel means by which a body may be suspended and transferred to a position over the table and thereafter lowered onto the table, and after treatment again lifting the body and transferring it, as stated.

It is furthermore an object of the invention to provide a power transmitting instrumentality which will serve to operate a Windlass on which pulleys so that the operation of the cable will result in movement of the body as aforesaid.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide slings or straps suspended from a board or plain elongated member, which elongated member is suspended by suitable elements from a member to which the cable is connected; and it isfurthermore an object to provide a track and a wheeled member travelling thereon which serves to move the suspending means with relation to the table or to a location where the body is to be afterward deposited.

It is furthermore an object of the invention to provide novel means by which a motor properly controlled may operate the Windlass through appropriate gearing or the like.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists in the details of construction, and in the arrangement and combination of parts to be hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed.

In describing the invention in'detail, reference will be'had to the accompanying drawings form ing part of this application, wherein like characters denote corresponding parts in the several views, and in which:

a cable is wound, which cable is associated with Figure 5 illustrates a detail sectional view of a hanger and a rotating member thereon.

In these drawings 5 denotes a table, slab or the like, on which the body is to be deposited for treatment, and 6 denotes a track anchored to the ceiling or other appropriate part of a building containing the table. A wheeled suspending member 1 is movable on the track and may operate practically the full length thereof so that it will travel to a position over the table or to positions clear of the plan of thetable. The mem her I is shown as having a depending link 8 which supports a pulley or block 9, over which a cable I0 is operated; it being shown that the cable is connected to a hangar Ill and the hanger in turn is connected to an eye ll of av bracket l2 anchored to a plate 13, which plate has diverging struts or supports l-l connected to it by eyes 15. The diverging supports have their outer or lower ends anchored to a board or plate Hi, from which supporting straps or loops ll. may depend, the said straps being connected to the board or plate in any appropriate manner, or they may be looped around the board or plate without of necessity being anchored to it, although preferably some retaining means of known construction may be used to prevent disassembling of the parts. Pull cords such as l8 may be connected to the link 8 and, being movable in a guide l9, may be used for transferring the movable member I on the track to guide the body supporting means over the table or to locations clear of the table.

Figure 4 illustrates a detail View of one of the supporting members; and

The cable I!) operates through the pulley or sheave, as stated, and extends to a Windlass 20 which is driven by the motor, and the cable operates under a guide 2| supported on the floor or the like and is of such proportions as to permit the cable to wind on the Windlass longitudinally thereof. The motor 22 maybe of the electrically energized type and suitable switches (not shown) are provided for controlling th current to the motor. As such controlling devices are well known, it is believed unnecessary for an understanding of the invention by one skilled in the art to specifically illustrate or describe them. The motor has a driven pulley 23 engaged by a belt or flexible element 24 which operates over a pulley 25 on a shaft 26,, and a suitable reducing gear may be interposed between the pulley 23 and the Windlass 2U.

From an inspection of the drawing and from the foregoing description it is apparent that the body may be embraced by the straps I1 and lifted through the instrumentalities described and that on?! v v when lifted, the body supporting means may be moved by operating the pull cord I8 to shift the position of the body supporting means within the bounds of the track and of course the operation of the motor will shift the position of the body vertically so that it may be lowered onto the table or raised therefrom, thus expediting the handling and manipulation of such bodies.

I claim; In a; body -hoist,} a' member having means i whereby'it is connected to a hoisting cable,said means comprising a bracket having a coupling for the hoisting cable, a plate thereunder longer than the said member, struts secured to the ends I encircle the body.

WILLIAM L. HARRIS. V

of the member and extending downwardly to ap- 15 

